Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

BEBEY, Francis

(b '29, Douala, Cameroon) African singer-composer, poet, novelist, guitarist, musicologist, film-maker. Son of a clergyman; attended French school, learned French and religious songs. BS in Maths at Douala; to France '50s to study modern languages at Sorbonne; began playing guitar infl. by Segovia. Worked briefly as radio journalist in Ghana; to NYC '61 to study broadcasting; devoted full-time energy to music from '64: toured continent performing, researching; continued to write, publishing first novel Agatha Moudious' Son '68 (won Grand Prix Litt‚raire de L'Afrique Noir); since then nine novels, collections of poetry incl. Ashanti Doll and King Albert; also African Music: A People's Art. First LP on Philips Concert Pour un Vieux Masque '69; 14 LPs '75--85 on Ozileka label incl. African Sanza '82 (also released in USA and as Vol. 5 of African Dance series), two-disc Super Bebey, New Track. Sourire de Lune '97 on Ceddia was reviewed in Folk Roots: 'You take Bebey as he is, a peculiar free-range prodigy, capable of riding furiously in every direction at once on any instrument you care to name.' He has won international awards for music sung in English, French, Douala, styles incl. trad., rumba, makossa, pop; toured with WOMAD in Europe late '80s-90s, also in USA with sons Patrick and Francis Jr. Wrote 'Kasilane' for Kronos String Quartet '94; that year his novel L'Enfant -- Pluie won the French Prix Saint-Exup‚ry.